Winter weather and City of Portland services

Information
Portland City Hall in the Snow
From road closures to home heating tips, the City of Portland can help you stay safe when severe weather hits. We're responsible for your streets, parks, water, storm drains and garbage collection, which can all be impacted by winter weather. Up-to-date winter weather information can be found here.
On this page

Portland Parks & Recreation updates

Stay Updated: Check inclement weather information and closures or call 503-823-2533 for ongoing updates about the schedule and facility re-openings, ensuring safety is prioritized. 

If you do go outside in the next few days, including to a park or natural area, please be aware of your surroundings, and check around you for any downed power lines or hanging branches.

Report tree emergencies on City property, including public streets and roads, by calling 503-823-TREE (8733) and pressing 1. If phone lines are busy, consider reporting online using the PDX Reporter website. Emergency dispatchers are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.


You can help all Portlanders survive the freezing temperatures by checking in on neighbors, whether housed or unhoused. 

If you are concerned for someone during colder conditions, such as an individual who is not dressed for the weather conditions, call the non-emergency response line at 503-823-3333 and request a welfare check.

Call 911 if someone is showing symptoms of hypothermia: shivering uncontrollably or suffering confusion, slurred speech or drowsiness. Get them somewhere warm and dry.

Call the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) hotline at 503-988-3646 for 24-hour information and assistance to older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.


Help for people experiencing homelessness

To find your nearest warming shelter or learn about volunteering at a shelter, go to Multnomah County's "Care for when it's cold" page.

There is also information on how you can volunteer at a warming shelter.

Call 211 for shelter options and if you need transportation to a shelter. Severe Weather Shelters are accessible to people with disabilities. Pets are allowed at all locations. 

Go to 211info.org/donations to find lists of providers and their needs for winter gear – hats, coats, gloves, sleeping bags and socks, etc. You can help by donating life-saving winter gear early in the season, so outreach teams will have them on hand when conditions turn especially cold.

Remember, we can make a difference when we work together to keep our neighbors safe, warm and dry this winter.

Our Benson bubbler water fountains are a critical drinking water source for people living outside, but they can be hazardous during cold weather as the water can leak on the sidewalks and freeze. During freezing weather events, we will turn most of them off for safety, but will keep some in operation so that they’re accessible to those that need them. For up to date information on the current status of the bubblers, visit the Portland Water Bureau’s websiteX (Twitter), or Facebook.

Public restrooms are also affected by extreme cold. To protect park facilities during the cold weather, park restrooms may be temporarily closed.

Road closures and transportation updates

PBOT Ready Yeti Cartoon

Get the latest severe weather travel tips, road closures, chain advisories and more on the Portland Bureau of Transportation's Winter Weather webpage. PBOT serves as the City's hub for real-time information to help you stay safe and get you where you need to go during winter weather events.

Check highway conditions before you go at TripCheck.com

Check trimet.org for the latest bus and MAX service information before you go. 

Parks and community centers

Are you planning to visit your favorite City park or attend a class or activity at a community or arts center? Check Portland Parks & Recreation's Inclement Weather Policy and Closures or call 503-823-2533 for information.

Plumbing protection, report water main breaks

Cartoon of two Water Bureau employees turning off a water main in winter weather

Learn how to prepare your home plumbing for winter weather.

Learn what to do if your pipes freeze, leak or burst as temperatures rise.

Check out The Water Blog for news about winter weather impacts to water. Be our eyes and ears! If you think you’ve spotted a broken main, call our 24-hour emergency line at 503-823-4874. Crews are ready to respond to emergencies, including water main breaks, 24 hours a day, and seven days a week.

Tree emergencies

Three workers stand outside on a snow covered street looking up at a fallen tree that takes up the entire top half of the photo.

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) Urban Forestry crews respond to hazardous situations and emergency needs citywide resulting from severe weather in Portland. 

Report tree emergencies on City property, including public streets and roads, by calling 503-823-TREE (8733) and pressing 1. If phone lines are busy, consider reporting online using the PDX Reporter website. Emergency dispatchers are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

For non-emergency, tree-related questions, email trees@portlandoregon.gov

Please be patient. Tree removal work is prioritized on the largest roads, freeways and critical City and transportation infrastructure, and then workers make their way into neighborhood streets. They look to make sure first responders can access areas and must wait for power company workers to clear any electrical dangers before removing downed trees or branches.

Watch this video to learn more about how Urban Forestry crews help you through severe weather.

IMPORTANT:

If a tree emergency situation involves downed wires please contact your utility provider first. PP&R Urban Forestry staff are unable to respond until electrical hazards have been addressed. For road closures visit PBOT's webpage.

Please avoid calling for NON-emergency issues during severe weather as crews are focused on reopening major roads and thoroughfares in Portland and will work their way down into neighborhood streets and roads.

General maintenance involving trees on private property or on adjacent rights-of-way is the responsibility of the property owner, who should call a private arborist for any tree-related issue.

Repairing property damage from weather events

Many homes and businesses sustain damage in storms and other natural disasters. Here is information to help you find resources to fix damage to your property.

The State of Oregon provides a resource guide in English and Spanish to help identify, avoid and report possible scams after a natural disaster.

Flooding

Situated along the Columbia and Willamette rivers with numerous waterways within its borders, Portland is susceptible to flooding, especially during the winter months when we receive most of our rain. 

Visit the Flooding in Portland webpage for resources and information on how to prepare and be safe, where Portland’s floodplains are, and what the City is doing for flood prevention.

Home safety advice from Fire & Rescue

Graphic that says: fuel engines, generators, stoves, grills, etc., never indoors

Stay safe when heating rooms in your home. 

Do not operate kerosene heaters, gas camp stoves, or generators indoors. Without proper ventilation, these items can generate harmful gases and deadly carbon monoxide, which is colorless and odorless.  

Lock in home heat by tacking blankets over windows and doorways to keep the cold out and putting rolled towels at the bottom of doors to keep drafts out.  

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, and confusion. If you suspect someone has been poisoned by carbon monoxide, get them to fresh air immediately, and call 911.  

For more information on how you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe in your home during winter weather, visit Portland Fire & Rescue's Winter Fire Safety Tips or PF&R's Twitter account for space heaterfireplace and other fire safety tips.

Garbage, recycling and compost collection

Snow and Ice Garbage and Recycling Pickup Snowman

In case of snow or ice, leave your bins at the curb. Your garbage company will come as soon as they can. Learn more.

Building inspections

Inclement weather may affect some building inspections from the Bureau of Development Services. Check the Bureau of Development Services’ web page and social media channels for the latest information on services affected by snow and ice.

General preparedness for winter weather

Graphic that says: Charge and gather medicine, water, food, flashlights, batteries, chargers and warm gear.

Questions on how to prepare for snow, ice, wind, and other winter weather? Visit PublicAlerts.org's winter weather resource webpage with information on how to stay safe and get help before, during, and after a storm.

Sign up for public emergency alerts

Sign up for public emergency alerts at PublicAlerts so you know when an emergency is happening in the Portland-Vancouver Region. Getting info quickly gives you power to take action. It could save your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Sidewalks should be shoveled

Graphic that reads: signs your neighbor might need help; pets out all night, no lights inside, mailbox overflowing, not answering phone

Property owners or tenants are responsible for shoveling the snow and removing ice from in front of their homes and businesses. Check in with neighbors who might need a hand. Some elderly homeowners or people with disabilities may have physical challenges or risk injury in the snow and ice.

The Big Pipe Tracker

The Big Pipe Tracker allows people to see how Portland’s Big Pipe system fills up and prevents combined sewer overflows to the Willamette River. The online gauge, updated every 15 minutes, also lets viewers be the first to know if a rare overflow does occur.

Questions about City services?

If you have questions about city and/or county services, call 3-1-1 or 503-823-4000 for answers and assistance. Call takers have resources to assist community members in many languages, share the language you wish to use and allow 2-5 minutes for connection. Available 7 days a week, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (excluding federal holidays). 

More information to help you connect to resources

Call 211 for information to help you recover from a storm. Information includes:

  • Utility assistance
  • Housing and shelter
  • Mental and behavioral health
  • Basic needs, such as food access
  • Legal services

Visit their website for a full list of information.

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The Portland Housing Bureau has information for homeowners who need help fixing and keeping ownership of their houses. https://www.portland.gov/phb/home-repair-retention